The BJP has demanded that Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik apologise for a state minister's alleged comment that the “police get commission” from financial benefits extended to victims of SC and ST atrocity cases. The saffron party also stated that Behera, the minister of state for home, should be sacked from the post for his statement. The minister, however, denied having made such a remark.
BJP’s Scheduled Caste Morcha president and former MP Bibhu Prasad Tarai alleged that Behera, while addressing a function on Monday, had stated that “both police and lawyers get commissions from victims who receive benefits under a compensation scheme for the SC and ST atrocity cases.
“I have never said that police get commissions from the compensation scheme. Rather, I said that the police and lawyers, who are part of society, dilute SC and ST atrocity cases for which many victims are denied of getting proper benefits. My statement has been distorted,” Behera told PTI.
Tarai also claimed that the “chief minister himself had earlier admitted percentage culture in the state administration and now his minister has pointed out corruption in the police department”. The BJP leader cited the National Crime Records Bureau report, which stated that atrocities on people belonging to the SC and ST communities have been "rising" in the state.
“More than 22,000 such cases are pending in courts as the police have not filed chargesheets. This shows the anti-Dalit and anti-tribal policy of the state government,” the BJP leader alleged. Tarai also accused the MoS for the state home department of “failing to perform his duties to ensure protection and security to SC and ST communities in the state”.
“It is high time that the CM should ask the minister to resign and apologise to Dalits, Adivasis and women,” the BJP leader said. Behera, in his speech at the legal cell meeting, had expressed concern over “the less number of victims availing of the benefits under the compensation”.
“As SC and ST atrocity victims do not know about the amount of compensation they should get, the other stakeholders enjoy a part of the financial aid,” the minister said. According to the scheme, a victim should get Rs 2 lakh while they get only Rs 50,000 due to "ignorance", the minister claimed.
